In the cross section of side body for a four-wheel automobile, reinforcements are disposed at various locations to increase the vehicle body strength. Specifically, in a front pillar portion and roof side portion, which form a closed cross section by using an inner panel and an outer panel, a reinforcement is disposed within this closed cross section.
FIGS. 5 and 6 show the conventional constructions of front pillar portions 20 and 21, respectively. The front pillar portion 20, 21 is formed by a vehicle body construction member 25 consisting of a side body inner panel 22, a side body outer panel 23, and a reinforcement 24. Specifically, one end flange 24a of the reinforcement 24 is held between a flange 22a at one end of the side body inner panel 22 and a flange 23a at one end of the side body outer panel 23, and three elements are joined together by spot weld S.sub.01 with these three flanges lapped. Also, the other end flange 24b of the reinforcement 24 is held between a flange 22b at the other end of the side body inner panel 22 and a flange 23b at the other end of the side body outer panel 23, and three elements are joined together by spot weld S.sub.02 with these three flanges lapped. Thus, a closed cross section shape portion .alpha. is formed by the side body inner panel 22 and the side body outer panel 23, and the reinforcement 24 is interposed between the side body inner panel 22 and the side body outer panel 23 in such a manner as to be stretched in the closed cross section shaped portion .alpha..
For the conventional front pillar portion 20 shown in FIG. 5, a pillar trim 26 is installed on the inside surface side (cabin side) of the side body inner panel 22 so as to correspond to the side body inner panel 22. In FIG. 5, reference numeral 27 denotes a windshield glass, 28 denotes a molding, and 29 denotes an opening trim.
For the conventional front pillar portion 21 shown in FIG. 6, a buffer 30 is disposed between the side body inner panel 22 and the pillar trim 26. The reason for disposing the buffer 30 is as follows: Because the flange portion .beta. (see FIGS. 5 and 6), where three flanges are joined by spot weld S.sub.02, has a high strength, unless the buffer 30 is disposed between the side body inner panel 22 and the pillar trim 26, an excessive impact force applied in the direction indicated by the arrow F in FIG. 5 (direction from the cabin inside toward the cabin outside) is directly received by the flange portion .beta. without being bufferred. Therefore, for the front pillar portion 21 shown in FIG. 6, the buffer 30 is disposed between the side body inner panel 22 and the pillar trim 26 as described above, by which an excessive impact force applied to the pillar trim 26 is received elastically to buffer the impact force.
FIGS. 7 and 8 show the conventional constructions of roof side portions 31 and 32, respectively. Like the aforementioned front pillar portion 20, 21, the roof side portion 31, 32 is formed by a vehicle body construction member 36 consisting of a side body inner panel 33, a side body outer panel 34, and a reinforcement 35. Specifically, one end flange 35a of the reinforcement 35 is held between a flange 33a at one end of the side body inner panel 33 and a flange 34a at one end of the side body outer panel 34, and four elements are joined together by spot weld S.sub.03 with these three flanges lapped and an edge 37a of a roof panel 37 joined onto the flange 33a of the side body inner panel 33. Also, the other end flange 35b of the reinforcement 35 is held between a flange 33b at the other end of the side body inner panel 33 and a flange 34b at the other end of the side body outer panel 34, and three elements are joined together by spot weld S.sub.04 with these three flanges lapped. Thus, a closed cross section shape portion .gamma. is formed by the side body inner panel 33 and the side body outer panel 34, and the reinforcement 35 is interposed between the side body inner panel 33 and the side body outer panel 34 in such a manner as to be stretched in the closed cross section shaped portion .gamma..
For the conventional roof side portion 31 shown in FIG. 7, a roof lining 38 is installed on the inside surface side (cabin side) of the side body inner panel 33 so as to correspond to the side body inner panel 33. In FIG. 7, reference numeral 39 denotes an opening trim.
For the conventional roof side portion 32 shown in FIG. 8, a buffer 40 is disposed between the side body inner panel 33 and the roof lining 38. The reason for disposing the buffer 40 is the same as that for the aforementioned front pillar portion 21.
For the above-described conventional construction of the front pillar portion 20 and the roof side portion 31, however, because the flange portion .beta., where three flanges are lapped, has a high rigidity, if an excessive impact force is applied to the pillar trim 26 or the roof lining 38 from the cabin side, the pillar trim 26 or the roof lining 38 is directly received by the rigid flange portion .beta., so that a reaction corresponding to the impact force may be produced or other adverse effects may be caused. Even if the buffer 30 or 40 is disposed as in the case of the front pillar portion 21 and the roof side portion 32, such adverse effects may be caused.
When it is necessary to dispose the buffer 30, 40 as in the case of the front pillar portion 21 and the roof side portion 32, it is preferable that the buffer 30 be disposed in a well-seated state between the side body inner panel 22 and the pillar trim 26, and the buffer 40 be disposed in a well-seated state between the side body inner panel 33 and the roof lining 38 so that the buffer 30, 40 sufficiently accomplishes a buffering action. For this purpose, the shape of the side body inner panel 22 corresponding to the buffer 30, 40 requires a contrivance such that the buffer 30, 40 is disposed in a well-seated state, that is, the buffer 30, 40 does not escape in the direction indicated by the arrows M and N in FIGS. 6 and 8, respectively, if an excessive impact load is applied.